My boyfriend and I just spent a couple of days at Canal House Cottage.

Pro: Canal House Cottage could be lovely and private. It was very clean.

Con: It has a terrible view of the back of a cafe. The real problem is that it just did not seem to be well maintained - burned out lights, non-functioning DVD player, no way to find out the password for the internet, no soap in the bathroom, no heat, etc. But what makes this a bad review is the fact that they just would not give us toilet paper.

When we arrived, we told the proprietor, Carrie, that there was no toilet paper. She apologized and said she'd send someone right over with some. 5 hours later, we begged the Canal House Cafe for a roll of toilet paper. They apologized and promised to get word to Carrie that we needed more. The next day: still no toilet paper. We spoke to one woman on the phone and left a message on Carrie's voice mail. No one ever even called us back.

Some amenities are luxuries - some, like toilet paper, are necessities. There is nothing romantic about saying, "Honey, I need to go into town so I'll have something to wipe with." Maybe we caught them on an off day?

We stayed in the Canal House Cottage which isn't right in downtown Harpers Ferry, but it was still wonderful. The place is cozy and comfortable, and the kitchen appliances are all in great shape. What we liked best was that from beginning to end we were left totally alone, which isn't necessarily what some people look for in a B&B, but to us it felt like a true retreat. And we parked literally ten feet from the front door. Oh also, the jacuzzi bathtub was awesome.

My wife and I spent our 10th anniversary here and had a fantastic time. The room was wonderful and the food was great. Sitting out on the deck overlooking the river and the training tacks was magnificent. The location of the house is just up the hill from down town Harpers Ferry. Just walk through the cemetery to Jefferson Rock and the down the Appalachian Trail and you are in town. No driving necessary.

We will be back.

We booked a room at the Ledge House for a girls' weekend, and the hosts were nice enough to relax the two-day minimum rule (which no other B&Bs in the area were willing to do). Unfortunately, we hadn't discussed the number of guests allowed, since the booking was done over phone, and were one too many for their double-bed suite. They immediately offered us accommodation in another of their properties close by (The Butler Burell House), which was a charming little cottage, very cozy, clean and spacious. We had a splendid time! Thanks for the memories!